By Lukman Olabiyi, Lagos
Members of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) enforcing the union’s nationwide strike order stormed the Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday to ensure compliance.
JUSUN’s nationwide strike, which began today, April 6, saw union members arriving at the federal court complex before 9 am, directing their colleagues in courtrooms and offices to comply with the industrial action.
They sealed some of the offices and pasted notices indicating commencement of the court shutdown.
The JUSUN national leadership had in an April 1 circular ordered the closure of courts across the country from Tuesday until the government complies with the constitution, court judgments and other instruments which confer or re-emphasise the financial autonomy of the Judiucary.
The circular signed by the union’s General Secretary, IM Adetola, directed all state and zonal heads to comply with the strike.
The union stated it had at its last National Executive Meeting on March 13 in Abuja, issued a 21-day ultimatum to the government to implement the financial autonomy of the judiciary with a threat that ‘failure of which JUSUN will have no other option but to resume the suspended national strike action.’
The statement indicated that ‘as a result of the public holiday on April 5, 2021, the strike action has been postponed to Tuesday, April 6, 2021.’